Mind-Blowing Optical Illusions, Part 6

"QUANTUM SHOT" #869 Link - article by Avi Abrams "Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may still exist, but you have ceased to live." --Mark Twain We are continuing our popular "Optical Illusions" series with this extensive compilation of visual puzzles and treats. Enjoy your eyes fooled and your mind played with - and remember (here is another quote that we like): "The soul has illusions as the bird has wings: it is supported by them" --Victor Hugo We start with the classic M. C. Escher-like illusion "The Impossible Escape" by Erik Johansson: (image credit: Erik Johansson) Isometric 3-D illusions inside a parking lot This is the work by Axel Peemoeller inside the Eureka Tower in Melbourne: the deceptively simple optical-typographical illusions, similar to the work of Swiss artist Felice Varini (mentioned in our previous issues): (images via) Spice up your garage doors with these tongue-in-cheek stickers Make your neighbours REALLY jealous: Add some substance to your bumper sticker "My other car is a jet" - Or scare off those poor souls who will try to park their car in your garage: Deceptive Colors The outrageous juxtaposition of colors in the image below makes it hard to believe that these spirals are ALL same light-green color; there are no light blue areas - as the enlarged section clearly shows: Even simpler, the gray areas in the following image are the SAME SHADE of grey - check it in Photoshop if you don't believe this! - And these shapes are NOT rotating, or moving in any way: The text is not moving, flexing out of shape, or floating off the screen. No, this image is static, too: (image credit: Robert Bruce Murray III) These are four perfectly round circles: And even more unbelievable - this is NOT a spiral! Just closed perfect circles - (images via) And if you think this tile work is all crooked, you're wrong - these are perfectly straight lines!! - (image via) Even more incredible - Put a ruler to the image below, and see for yourself that all the lines are straight... (image via; original is from the book "New optical illusions" by Gianni A. Sarcone) The following images reveal how they make size illusions (including size effects in movies, for example making hobbits look smaller): See this video to appreciate the "magnetic slopes" illusion, also based on skillfully manipulated perspective: Very classy and deceptive Photoshop image manipulations This lovely image "The Curious Case of the Lady with the Red Scarf" was created by Munich-based photographer Christian Beirle Gonzalez. He writes: "This shot was taken at the "Neue Nationalgalerie" in Berlin. While the young lady was contemplating a Max Beckmann painting I took a quick snap from her, some Photoshop later this is the result." - (image credit: Christian Beirle Gonzalez) This shadow is quite impossible: (original unknown) Gravity! - these striking images are part of the wonderful "Get back in your Book" series by Lissy Laricchia: (image credit: Lissy Laricchia) A smiling Leader is better than a grouchy Leader: And we finish with more extremely creative landscape manipulations by Erik Johansson: "Expecting Winter" - (image credit: Erik Johansson) "The Cover up" - (image credit: Erik Johansson) "Downside of the Upside" (these two ends of the bridge will never meet, except in an architect's nightmare) - (image credit: Erik Johansson) Wrap your mind around this intersection: (image credit: Erik Johansson) Article by Avi Abrams, Dark Roasted Blend. READ THE PREVIOUS PART HERE ->